Dear Friends and Alumni of Sam Houston State University,

HB1418 has been voted out of committee with a recommendation it be sent to Local and Consent Calender in the Texas House of Representatives. As you remember, HB1418 will preserve and protect the name of Sam Houston State University. Our bill is now out of committee and is on it’s way to the full House. This is great news and we appreciate the support of the Chair of the Committee, Representative Geanie Morrison, and the other members who voted for this bill.

After a vote of the House the bill goes to the Texas Senate. HB1419 was left pending in committee. It dealt with protecting the names of every state university named after a Texas Hero. HB1419 could still be voted out of committee, but our main concern was HB1418 and the protection of Sam Houston. The bill still has a long way to go…but it is on it’s way, and that’s great news for those of us who care about Sam Houston the man, his legacy, and the university.

Mike Sizemore
Sam Houston Alumni Association
Chair-Legislative Committee

Dear Alumni and Friends of Sam Houston State University,

House Bills 1418 & 1419 were heard in the Higher Education Committee of the Texas House this week. To update those of you who have not been following this issue it deals with preserving and protecting the name of Sam Houston State University and the names of other universities named after Texas Heroes.

John McManners- President of the Sam Houston Alumni Association, Christopher Whitaker- Student body President, Gayla Lawson-Life member of Sam and a member of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, other students, and myself attended the hearings to express support for the bills and testify. There was NO opposition that testified against the bills. State Representative Lois Kolkhorst did a terrific job in laying out the bills that she authored. It was a good hearing for Sam Houston and I’m hopeful we’ll get it out of committee. Time, however is running out. We have to get it out of committee, scheduled for a house floor vote, pass the house and get it sent to the senate. At that point the process starts again in the senate. If we can get it to the senate by the first of May we still have a chance to get it passed into law before the session ends at the end of May.

This is the time to get your friends, other alumni, history buffs, and others who care about Sam Houston and Texas history to call their legislators in favor of these bills. HB1418 deals only with Sam Houston State. If we can get that bill alone it would be a great victory for Sam Houston State. Please contact the members of the Higher Education committee in the House, and your state representative to ask for their support. Even though there was no vocal opposition to these bills, there is opposition behind the scenes. That’s why it is so important to contact committee members and your own state representative.

When you email or call your representative to express your support of these bills, please give your full name, postal address and phone number with the following statement:

“I want to thank Representative ___________ for hearing and considering House Bills 1418 and 1419 in the Texas Higher Education Committee this week. These bills will preserve the name of Sam Houston State University and honor the heroes of Texas. I support these bills and respectfully ask Representative ____________ for their support to vote these bills out of committee. Thank you.”

Thanks for your support of Sam Houston State University, and as the late great Bob Bullock liked to say, “God Bless Texas!”

sincerely,
Mike Sizemore
Sam Houston Alumni Association
Chair-Legislative Committee
 361-649-0486